Stouffville council questions police lease deal

It is going to cost Stouffville about $560,000 to accommodate York Regional Police’s move into the municipal office.

And that does not include a rent-free period from when they move in later this year until July 1, 2014.

The police have agreed to pay all construction costs related to them taking over about 4,500 square feet of vacant and currently in-use town hall space to transform it into a sub-station housing police officers, administrative staff and an information counter for the public.

There will be no detention cells.

Their cost will be approximately $1.15 million.

Two of the town’s departments have to move elsewhere in the building, about 20 new parking spaces are required and a $125,000 roof repair that was scheduled to be done in 2014/2015 will be completed now.

“That was a cost we were going to incur anyway,” Marc Pourvahidi, the town’s treasurer and director of finance, said.

Financially, it’s a great decision, he said of the York Regional Police’s tenancy.

By having the police share its space, the town aims to recoup $45,000 a year in rent and $31,000 in heat, air conditioning and cleaning costs.

“Many of those costs are being incurred today, so it would be great to recover some of those costs from a tenant,” Mr. Pourvahidi said.

As part of the on-going lease agreement negotiations, police representatives requested a year of free rent.

They originally asked for two, but were brought down to one, according to Mr. Pourvahidi.

“That is not standard in the office leasing business,” Councillor Clyde Smith said during last week’s meeting upon hearing the request.

The town’s other tenant — yorkworks — received no free rent, he noted.

Citing it would take about 12 years to recoup the $45,000 of lost rent revenue, Councillor Phil Bannon wasn’t fully in favour of that aspect of the proposal either.

“I feel like a tail that is wagging the dog,” said Councillor Susanne Hilton, who later added the town is being asked to work to the region’s time line.

Police also requested a 20-year lease, but the town brought them down to 10.

As a compromise, Mayor Wayne Emmerson proposed town negotiators go back to the police with a free rent until July 1, 2014 offer, no matter their move-in date. The motion was passed by council.

If approved by the police, the lease will be signed and construction will get under way.

The police are expected to move into the building in December with the sub-station being fully operational in January 2014, according to the council report.

It will be the first York Regional Police office in Whitchurch-Stouffville.